Hope, you are really working hard this week on your eating! Why doesn't meditation during yoga count? Not as relaxing or not as deeply into it? I've tried meditating at home and just can't clear my mind enough on things going on around me--sounds, mostly. Your food plan for tomorrow looks well thought out. Nice job. If you must be away from the group for a while, I hope you can stick with your plan and know that we are with YOU in spirit, too. Big hug to ya!

Hope, you are really working hard this week on your eating! Why doesn't meditation during yoga count? Not as relaxing or not as deeply into it? I've tried meditating at home and just can't clear my mind enough on things going on around me--sounds, mostly. Your food plan for tomorrow looks well thought out. Nice job. If you must be away from the group for a while, I hope you can stick with your plan and know that we are with YOU in spirit, too. Big hug to ya!

I AM working hard on my eating and it is making me feel better. And yet it hasn't been difficult; I've been enjoying my "healthy food." Changed my plan a little cause I'm gonna have a looooong day and need more food. LOL.

I find it hard to meditate too, hard to quiet what they call "monkey mind," the noise in my own head. Meditation during yoga today didn't "count" because it was not long or focused enough.

Hope, I'm glad we're good. [[[Hugs]]] Now that you mention it, I recall that Butterfingers make my upper and lower teeth feel like they want to stick together. It's great that you are enjoying healthful food. So many people on diets think they have to eat salads most of the time. Just not true. Your revised menu looks even better. You and I enjoy a lot of the same foods--except for hummus. I've never had any I like yet. I often have a hard time falling asleep because when I'm awake I'm thinking; not worrying or pondering--just hard for me to turn off my mind. I guess that's another reason why meditation is hard for me--I have a monkey mind. LOL

Just chit chat: contractor just about done in the kitchen. Nothing fancy--just mostly drywall work and painting, but I'll be glad when he's done. We gave him a whole month in the contract to complete a four day job because he is an independent contractor and had other jobs lined up. He did come out a week and a half before he was to start and removed the wallpaper. Then followed a string of excuses and promises to come to work the next day and he didn't show and most of the time didn't call, either. (UGH, no call-no show business people are my biggest pet peeve!) He finally admitted he had mismanaged our downpayment and didn't have the money to buy the materials for our job and had the nerve to ask us to advance him more money. We refused and insisted he get the money he needed elsewhere and be back with the materials and ready to work by 9 o'clock the next morning or else we would file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and/or the Ohio Attorney General's office. It worked--he borrowed the money from a relative. On the up side, his work is excellent and he suggested some extra work he would do at no charge (about four hours worth) to make up for treating us wrong. Hey, he didn't have to twist my arm--I graciously accepted. I would still recommend him to friends based on the high quality of his work, but would tell them to put in the contract that the day he is to start work for them he is to deliver his tools and accessories to their house [as assurance he will return] then be given the downpayment to go buy the materials and return with them immediately to start the job.

Mern: What is it with contractors and time? But that thing with mismanaging your money, and then having the nerve to come and ask for more, wow, I can't believe that. I am so glad it worked out for the best and you are very goodhearted about what happened. We redid our kitchen and my husband said never again (to big house projects.) He said if we ever buy another home (as in down sizing) we better love it as is. LOL.

There is a woman in my town who makes hummus to die for. If you tried hers, you would love hummus. In fact, maybe I will have hers instead of that other stuff. Hummus is kind of carby tho. Beans are carby.

I do enjoy my diet but I stepped on the scale today and I am up one pound. WHUT? I know this shouldn't bother me but these last pounds have been crawling off... than crawling back. LOL.

Thanks Mern for the kind words. In the new year I think I need to get more organized in food planning. I'm in awe of the woman on here who actually plan their whole day.

Hope I love hummus. I buy Epicure spices and make it with that. Unfortunately ran out so I will have to find a good recipe online. It's amazing how much my food habits have changed. I don't eat cookies for dessert and have baby carrots or cucumber slices for afternoon snack. I just need to work on finding low carb muffins.

Aww, thanks so much Mern! That made me feel good reading that, cuz I'm still at that same plateau! BUT - muscle weighs more and I'm trying to walk everyday to get some cardio into my daily routine and build from there.

Hope - have a great week if you aren't on! Looking forward to seeing you back And omgosh, hummus is DELISH! Love that stuff bunches. I should prolly watch all the carbs and such, but right now I'm just trying to not eat thousands of calories a day (which I can almost bet I was doing for the past year... OUCH!) I love to have a small piece of baguette and dip it in the hummus for a snack yummy!

Tomorrow is cook day again for the week ahead! I'm planning to make a batch of onigiri and perhaps a miso soup and tempeh dish, although I might do something with pasta included since I haven't had that all week. What do you guys feel is a good start to cut down on carbs? Like I said - carboholic here Just wondering on how others had started this.

Surprised that despite the fact that carbs were over 3 days out of 5 I am still down a pound. YAY!! I wasn't crazy over--probably about 10-15. Probably partly water weight as I have upped my intake this week.
Any loss makes me more motivated.

Brother and sister-in-law (and baby) are coming here for Christmas. Mom thinks we will probably have chicken breast. Less mess/clean up. We HAVE to have stuffing. He doesn't get it with her side since they are Filipino. One good thing...she doesn't like pumpkin pie and bro isn't a big dessert person (would rather have 2 helpings of stuffing) so we aren't having pie.

Tomorrow is cook day again for the week ahead! I'm planning to make a batch of onigiri and perhaps a miso soup and tempeh dish, although I might do something with pasta included since I haven't had that all week. What do you guys feel is a good start to cut down on carbs? Like I said - carboholic here Just wondering on how others had started this.

See you all tomorrow!

Krystal, Mern had some good suggestions for low carb stuff, black ~soy~ beans (very interesting,) and I think I saw some low carb chocolate muffins awhile back. Me, I just try to stay away from bread.

I'm obviously not doing well staying away from sugar, so I'm not sure why I responded to a post about how to go low-carb. Not that I'm going Paleo, just yet. I'm still not sure how I plan to address my high cholesterol issue, but think that cutting back on cheese ... and wine ... is probably a good start.

I've never been good at planning my food intake for the day, but definitely applaud those who do. Ceratinly something to consider.